Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War

Story and setting

The game is set in Strangereal in 1995, 15 years before the events of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War. On 25 March, the Principality of Belka invades neighbouring countries after the discovery of major natural resources in Ustio. Ustio is quickly overrun, forcing its government to reorganise the remains of its sixth air division as a foreign mercenary force.

You play as the Ustian pilot Cipher, the lead aircraft of Galm Team in the 66th Air Force Unit. His wingman is Larry Foulke, better known by the callsign Solo Wing Pixy. The campaign follows their progress through the Belkan War, from emergency sorties over Ustio to larger allied operations against Belkan forces. The story is presented through mission briefings, radio exchanges and testimony from pilots who fought alongside or against Cipher, with the way those accounts develop affected by your conduct in battle.

How it plays

Zero is an arcade-style flight shooter rather than a realistic simulator. Missions cover interception, air-to-ground attacks, escort work, defence and large-scale dogfights. You fly licensed fighter aircraft from cockpit or third-person views, choose special weapons and manage missiles, guns and limited ammunition while dealing with enemy aircraft, ground units and naval targets.

Its defining feature is the Ace Style gauge. Your treatment of neutralised or vulnerable targets moves Cipher towards one of three identities: Mercenary, Soldier or Knight. That alignment affects your reputation, radio dialogue, the enemy ace squadrons you encounter and parts of the presentation. The game also records defeated aces in an Assault Record, encouraging repeat campaigns to find more opponents and see how different decisions alter the war.

The original PlayStation 2 release included a two-player local split-screen versus mode with several battle stages. The 2026 port has been described by Bandai Namco as a port of the original game, but the publisher has not yet provided a complete feature list confirming how that mode works on modern hardware.

Platforms, editions and UK price

The port is confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. It is not a PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch release. Bandai Namco lists it as a separate application from Ace Combat 8, rather than a menu option inside the newer game.

There is no standalone UK RRP for Zero. To obtain it, you must pre-order Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve before 2 October 2026. UK digital storefront pricing for Ace Combat 8 is £64.99 for the Standard Edition and £84.99 for the Deluxe Edition on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Bandai Namco’s UK PC store lists the Standard Edition at £54.99 and the Deluxe Edition at £74.99. Every edition pre-ordered before launch includes Zero and the F-14A bonus aircraft, while the Deluxe Edition adds the Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher, cosmetic items and three-day early access to Ace Combat 8.

The advertised UK release date is Friday 2 October. Bandai Namco Europe gives the wider launch as midnight CEST, which corresponds to 11pm BST on Thursday 1 October, although storefronts continue to label the release as 2 October.

What was shown in trailers and showcases

The direct announcement came on 2 June 2026, when Bandai Namco’s Ace Combat 8 release-date trailer revealed Zero as a pre-order bonus for the new game. The accompanying announcement confirmed that this was the 2006 title being brought to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam, and highlighted the Ace Style system.

Later Ace Combat 8 material, including the 25 September 2026 Game Overview trailer and the 28 August Gamescom preview, repeated the Zero bonus and platform information. Those presentations focused on Ace Combat 8’s campaign, aircraft, multiplayer and modern features. No dedicated 2026 Zero gameplay showcase has demonstrated upgraded graphics, new content, remastered audio, altered controls or technical targets such as resolution and frame rate.

What we still don’t know

Bandai Namco has not announced whether Zero will be sold separately after the Ace Combat 8 pre-order period, so there is currently no standalone UK price or retailer pre-order for the port itself. It has also not published a dedicated feature breakdown covering trophies, Xbox achievements, keyboard and mouse support, Steam Deck compatibility, save transfers, DualSense features or display options.

The original game had no online multiplayer, only its local split-screen mode, but the 2026 port’s online functionality has not been explicitly documented. That makes it safest to treat Zero as a single-player campaign with possible local versus support until Bandai Namco says otherwise. There is no confirmed PS Plus or Xbox Game Pass inclusion for Zero itself. If you want to play it at launch, the clear route is an Ace Combat 8 pre-order, but that purchase is for the much larger new game rather than Zero as a standalone product.